Nightshift 43: M31-M40 Hallway

[guardiancomplex.livejournal.com]

Touya sat on his bed with his hands folded, listening to the announcement, hearing the doors unlock. He hadn't been paying much attention, though--his mind was elsewhere.

For one, Jaime was gone. The bed across from him was unoccupied, and there wasn't any sign of his stuff anywhere. He'd been a nice kid, though Touya couldn't help but feel like he had been hiding something. Considering the events of last night, Touya didn't want to think about what might have happened to him. Tomorrow, he should post something.

His lack of roommate, though, had caused him to be left alone to his thoughts. They ran circles in his head, wearing a beaten track in his mind. He couldn't stop thinking about what Nakuru had said.

What if he had taken those pictures? What if he was stalking Yuki? What if he was an obsessed, crazed teenager, bent on getting his way just because his hormones said so?

He had to talk to Yuki about this--and in private. Sakura shouldn't be there if her brother really was a stalker. He quickly gathered his necessary items for the night and struck out for Yukito's room.

Comments

[guardiancomplex.livejournal.com]

(To here. (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/702746.html?thread=57928730#t57928730))

[stringless-doll.livejournal.com]

Don't touch me. Don't touch me. Don't touch me. Nataku would not allow his nurse near him as he was led away from his father. At his request, she let him into his room for the evening and he stayed under the blankets pretending to sleep even as he heard his roommate come in.

He wanted to be outside, as far away from here as possible.

He had stopped shivering by the time nightshift fell. He had to get up sometime tonight. He had work to do. It didn't occur to him to ask Homura for the night off. Maybe some fighting would even be good for him. It would clear his mind. He dragged himself up and mumbled a greeting to his roommate, found the energy to fake a smile and wish Ritsuka a good night.

His flashlight long gone, he took the machete in hand and stepped out into the hallway. The edge needed to be honed, but tonight he thought he could work with a dull blade.

[for a quick thread with Kenren before he's off. NO ONE SAW THE LAST POST. NO ONE. >_>;]

[opposingheaven.livejournal.com]

There's an odd feeling in the back of Kenren's head when night finally comes, something itchy and pushy and familiar most of all but he ignored it, pushed it down because he had more important things to do that night. It was still there though, niggling at him as he stepped outside into the corridor, gun in one hand, crowbar slung over his shoulder loosely. He wasn't taking any chances if they were raiding that place again.

He was a little surprised when he saw Nataku in the corridor, but his room was round here wasn't it? Well, he'd promised to explain to the kid why he'd been so reticent on the bulletin board. "Hey! Nataku!" he called out and then paused when he saw the look on the kid's face, speeding up to stand by his side. "Nataku?"

[stringless-doll.livejournal.com]

Nataku stopped and turned halfway as his name was called. That was Kenren, wasn't it? He'd almost forgotten they shared the same hallway. He wasn't ungrateful to see a friend, but he tensed unconsciously when the man stopped at his side, features already smoothed into neutrality.

"Kenren," He shook his head a little when he caught the man's expression. He didn't want to talk about it, but there was something he hadn't gotten the chance to ask today. "I know we have to go to go meet people but - what happened last night?"

M34

[udo-retrovirus.livejournal.com]

Junior hadn't really touched his dinner, opting instead to try to rest. He still had mixed feelings about the visitor, though he supposed he should be grateful that they'd let him see Sakura again. But at the same time, it made him really miss home, or at least everything that was worth missing. It made him want out more than before. The outside was swarming with zombies, though, and just getting out of the building wouldn't make it any easier to get home. He'd already been wanting to take a look around the Institute to see if he could find any way home, so maybe this would give him a good excuse to go through with it. Good thing he'd asked earlier about the basement.

First, though, the redhead had to meet up with his brothers and make sure everyone was okay. Or rather, he had to kill them for the night before, then make sure they were okay. Who knew, maybe they'd even want to come along to the basement. In that case, may as well take along those scalpels he had left over, to at least give them some sort of weapon. Of course, Junior wasn't sure if giving one to Albedo would be a good idea in the long run, but hopefully his twin wouldn't use it to hurt any of the patients. Hopefully.

Before he could start pulling all his stuff out to take with him, though, his brain processed exactly what it was the intercom had said. 'Virtual' anything should really have stood out sooner; it was so commonplace to hear back home that the lack of anything involving it was what was odd. Then there was the username and password stuff...

What the hell? Junior had already wondered once if he may have gotten stuck in some weird Encephalon thing, but...that had only been half-serious, since the Encephalon didn't really exist anymore. Not like he'd get any answers just sitting around thinking about it. He pulled the scalpels out from under his pillow and stuck them in the waistband of his pants, then grabbed the sword and headed out.

M31

[kingside]

Lelouch had spent dinner lying in bed, food and roommate going entirely ignored in favor of feigning sleep and effectively avoiding any form of conversation. It wasn't quite the same as being alone, but it was similar enough for his purposes that he kept it up until the lights flickered out and the doors unlocked for the night. Exhausted or not, however, actual sleep escaped him; too much had happened that day to let his mind finally rest even if his body sorely needed it.

He waited until after Bart had left to sit up again, one hand automatically reaching beneath his pillow for his flashlight and flicking it on. He was certain he'd lost it the night before last, but evidently the institute had decided to furnish him with a replacement-- convenient, really. Had there actually been noble intentions behind this act, he might have been grateful, but as things were...

He rose to his feet and went over to his desk to set down his flashlight before walking back to his bed, smoothing the rumpled sheets automatically and returning them to their former pristine state before seating himself once more. He knew he should have been turning his mind to the problem of I.R.I.S., New Wave, and all the rest of what the automated guide had said, but with what had happened with Suzaku, Euphemia, and Nunnally weighing on his mind, he couldn't do it. There was just too much-- he couldn't even begin to hope that he could somehow handle it all, and now that he had no one--

He closed his eyes, leaning forwards and resting his elbows on his knees in what was now a very familiar pose of complete despair. He had at least found a way to keep Euphemia safe, but losing Suzaku-- no, he shouldn't think on that. Nunnally was more important, as was trying to figure out a way to stop his parents when he was certain now that he couldn't if it meant causing her death. How could he have considered it in the first place? But if there truly was no other way and he technically already had-- why?! Why did the world always force him to make these decisions?! As if his chosen path hadn't made him do enough-- why did Nunnally have to be a victim, too?!

Nunnally...

[For Euphy.]

Re: M31

[euphemise.livejournal.com]

Euphy nodded and waved goodbye to Teresa, then looked up and down the hall, noting the room numbers as she went - M40 was at the end, so. She knew M35 wasn't the place she needed to be, but she walked down to the other end of the hallway anyway, scanning the doors. Would it be too rude, then, to knock on all of them asking? She paused just outside the first door, hesitating.

Is this really the wisest decision? Shouldn't I ask for more information, and not just knock on doors? I...

She approached the door, then paused just outside it. There was a light on under the door, she could tell that much, but...she still hesitated before knocking once. "Hello?"

Re: M31

[kingside]

The knock didn't register at first, but the moment it did-- wait a minute. Was that...?

Lelouch sucked in a quick, deep breath and let it out in a long hiss, his head lifting so that he could level a glare at the door. How had Euphy found his room?! Had Suzaku told her? He wouldn't have done such a thing before their meeting in the Arts and Crafts Room, but afterward-- no, he'd given every indication of compliance then, even if he hadn't looked happy about it. For him to then turn around and give Euphy Lelouch's room number-- unless he had done it before he'd been dismissed? But why would he give her that information when he knew it would lead her straight to her killer? Did he honestly believe that she wouldn't use it to seek him out? Unless--

Lelouch stared at the door a little while longer, his glare fading into a worried frown. She couldn't have done this on her own, could she? During the brief time had had been paying attention to the bulletin that day, he hadn't seen anything from her that would indicate that she had been hunting down his room number, but then he hadn't looked at it much at all during third and fourth shift. If she had done it then and he simply hadn't noticed-- but Euphy wouldn't do something that inconsiderate, especially when she had to know he wasn't ready to speak to her. Not asking on the board, then, and she couldn't have asked his roommate, which meant-- she hadn't been going through and knocking on every single door in the men's block, had she?!

He stood up abruptly, walking quickly to the door before he knew it and reaching out to open it. He stopped with his hand a few inches away from the handle, though, his uncertainty finally catching up with him and-- what was he supposed to say to her? How could he even face her, after what he'd done? It had been an accident and he'd sworn to himself that he would atone for it, but-- he shouldn't be permitted to speak with her. He had done enough to her already, and involving her further-- he couldn't do it. She was innocent in all this, and if it hadn't been for his stupid, thoughtless words--

He fell back a step, then another as despair threatened to overtake him once more. It shouldn't matter to him so much when it was all in the past, but with her alive and just outside his door-- why did this sin have to come back and haunt him now? Euphemia, Nunnally, and Suzaku-- he at least hadn't stained his sister's hands in blood, but for Euphy and his first and last friend, it was too late. And for Nunnally, of course...

He squeezed his eyes shut and forced himself to take a deep, calming breath, if only so that he didn't scream at the way all of this was building up inside of him. That was the last thing he needed, and since the door was hardly locked-- if she burst in on him after that, he would never be able to explain it. It would be better to-- to stay quiet and pretend he wasn't here? But with the flashlight on and the way he'd approached the door, she had to have noticed that there was someone in here. He couldn't try to tell her through the door why he couldn't meet with her, either, and the longer she stayed out there-- what if something attacked her? She was risking enough leaving her room at night, so he should at least--

Dimly aware that he had at some point clenched his hands into fists, he forcibly relaxed his hands and flexed his fingers a little before making himself retake the steps that would lead him back to the door. Slowly-- very slowly, he reached towards the doorknob again, grasped it, and after waiting a few seconds more to give himself enough time to slip a much calmer, gentler mask in place, he twisted it and let the door swing open.

"Hello... Euphy."

Inside M35

[forgot-it-all.livejournal.com]

Nataku hadn't been feeling well that night. In fact, Ritsuka had finished his dinner and almost hadn't noticed that he was only pretending to sleep until he realized the boy was shaking. Something was wrong, but Ritsuka hadn't been able to talk to Nataku at all before the night fell. With it came more information about IRIS and a disturbing revelation. Was her malfunction natural? Was it a hack? And most importantly, was it current or a strange recording from before? He'd spent the day thinking the Head Doctor was dead, but what if he wasn't? What if he'd only come back as one of those...things?

The lights had just gone out when Nataku stirred and managed a forced greeting and a fake smile before heading out. That was twice today he'd seen such smiles which was two more times than he wanted to see them. Christian, for whatever reason, had decided that speaking with Ritsuka after he'd seen through the other boy's mask was too risky or else not worth it, and had disappeared. And now Nataku was gone with a similar smile.

Once the door closed, Ritsuka sat for a moment, then went over to his bed, pulling the photos out from under the pillow where he'd stuffed them that morning. They were all the memories he'd made since coming here, printed out somehow on glossy photo paper, the same way he used to. How had Soubi gotten these?

Going to his desk, he took a pen out and turned on his flashlight, using the dimming light to carefully label each picture on the back with the names of the people photographed. He then put them all into his journal, each pressed gently between the pages so they'd not be damaged. All but one disappeared into storage - the one of him, Miku and Sousuke. Ritsuka didn't know if she would want it, but he thought she should have the choice. With that finished, he went to the door and opened it a crack before going back to his desk, waiting for Soubi or Kio or whoever it was to appear.

Re: Inside M35

[beloved-less.livejournal.com]

[From here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/703215.html?thread=58033647#t58033647).]

Soubi moved down the hallway, trying to get his head in order. Mostly he just wanted to be near Ritsuka, he just knew that the kid would see that something's up. And it didn't matter what he did, he could pretend to be fine and piss Ritsuka off, or he could mope and Ritsuka would ask what's wrong and Soubi would lie or refuse to answer and Ritsuka would get that heartbreaking look in his eyes. Or...be pissed off.

Ritsuka wasn't in the hall, of course, which stopped Soubi's heart until he saw the open door and peeked inside. At his desk, working on something. Soubi leaned against the frame, hidden, and sighed deeply.

Which was kind of loud in an empty hall. That was dumb. He quickly stood straight and moved closer, standing behind Ritsuka and leaning over him, hands on the boy's shoulders, slowly moving down them. Ritsuka's poor arms. Soubi's fault. Every terrible thing that happened to Ritsuka was ultimately Soubi's fault. But this was direct.

Maybe it was best if Seimei came and took him away. Soubi quickly removed his hands when he felt they might tremble. Being behind Ritsuka had it's advantage in that he couldn't be seen. So he stayed there, head resting on top of Ritsuka's and closed his eyes.

He only felt a fraction safer and just very, very sad.

Re: Inside M35

[forgot-it-all.livejournal.com]

The pictures were put into their places and Ritsuka sat, staring at each of them in turn. He had to memorize them, put them into order of the day and time and place they were taken. Beneath each photo he began writing that information, along with the names of the people shown in them. Each letter was written carefully, just as he would do at home. A record of his life, for the boy who would return one day, scared and confused, to help him rebuild. Or maybe he wouldn't need these at all. People told him he used to be friendly, easy to get along with, welcoming and active. Maybe Ritsuka wouldn't need these when he returned.

If that were true--

There was a sigh behind him and Ritsuka stopped, inclining his head to the side to listen closer. Was it someone passing by or was it a sign that someone had arrived? Apparently someone had arrived because Ritsuka soon felt hands on his shoulders, familiar ones, moving down his arms only to disappear again. Then there was a heavy weight on his head and Ritsuka felt himself dip slightly under the pressure. He remembered this feeling, from when Soubi suddenly appeared when Ritsuka's mother had tied him to the chair. It was the same sort of atmosphere. "...Soubi? What's the matter?"

Inside ur M35 dyin on ur beds

[scarletspeedstr.livejournal.com]

[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/702746.html?thread=58863642#t58863642)]

M35! The sight of the door sent a final surge of energy through him, and Wally wasted no time bursting into the room, not caring how much it might startle those inside--

There was no one inside.

The little ball of hope he'd been carrying with him that surged to life when he'd reached the door abruptly died, leaving a hollow feeling in his stomach that was entirely different from plain hunger. There was no one here to help them, and he didn't have the faintest clue what was wrong with Chihaya.

Wally kicked the door shut more forcefully than he'd meant to and winced at the bang it caused. As hopeless as he might feel right now, Chihaya wasn't gone just yet. He could still be there for her, if nothing else.

Crossing the room to one of the beds, he gently lowered the limp form down and tried to make her more comfortable while he checked her vital signs.

"Sorry," he murmured to no one in particular. "I thought there might be someone here who could help. But I guess I messed up there."

Avenge....me

[numberonemonkey.livejournal.com]

Chihaya was struggling, weakly. It was hard to tell how conscious he was until he reached out for Wally's hand, still trying to smile. It hurt. It was taking too long. But he didn't want to worry Wally because it was okay...it really was. He was surprised he even remembered where he was. Everything hurt, and it had become so difficult to breathe now that he couldn't help but gasp and panic and curl up tight. He convulsed, trying even more desperately to gasp for air before he fell limp. The smile settled now, peacefully.

M32

[haplesstracker.livejournal.com]

Usually Scourge wanted to be out of his room the moment the door came unlocked, ideally while all the monsters were still being let out of their cages and the more aggressive patients were still shrugging off their sedatives. He could slip through like a shadow and get to his destination without being noticed, and barring giant spiders and loud companions get back to his room the same way.

This time he waited, casually finishing up the points on his nails with the door shut and his blade set across his thighs. The flashlight was on and pointed at the door; if anything decided to come through it would be blinded for a moment while Scourge readied himself to chop its head off.

Honey sounded like a small, slow thing and if he went out early there was a chance he'd be standing around in the hallway by himself like an Autobot with a flat tire and a broken leg. If he got there after the rest of them had arrived, they could get moving as soon as possible.

Re: M32

[haplesstracker.livejournal.com]

To here. (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/702746.html)]

[denied-future.livejournal.com]

The whole 'suddenly waking up in your room' thing was getting really tiring, in Rey's opinion. As he got out of bed, he vaguely wondered what the staff's excuse would be for this, if they'd even comment on it at all.

To be honest, he hadn't felt like getting up, for it meant another day he'd have to deal with the Institute (among certain other things), but he figured the nurse would drag him out if he didn't do it himself. After checking the closet for his sword and knife, he glanced at Sousuke's side of the room. Or rather, what had been. Rey knew he'd probably be getting a new roomate, to replace the now-gone boy.

He sat on the bed for a while, waiting for the nurse to come. When she didn't, however, he grew suspicious and walked over to the door, discovering with surprise that it wasn't unlocked. He realized why when he opened it a crack--it wasn't morning like he'd believed. It was night.

To go or not to go? Ultimately, Rey's need to do something worthwhile forced him to grab his flashlight and knife, before heading out.

[denied-future.livejournal.com]

[To here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/702746.html?thread=58022682#t58022682)]

M37

[toobothersome.livejournal.com]

During the emotional aspect of his training, the idea of death hadn't caught on to Shikamaru well as it'd caught on for everyone else. Yes, ninja lived a harsh and bloody existence and had to be ready to deal with sudden loss at any time, blah blah, he knew the words. Still, back then, half-aware and with his attention skyward (he remembered a kunai suddenly planted inches from his head to snap him out the daydreaming) he hadn't fully understood that the people around him--his teacher and teammates, at the time--would eventually meet their end. Not just Asuma, but Chouji too, and Ino and Naruto and Sakura, Temari and her siblings, Kurenai, Kakashi...even his parents. To say that Asuma's death was hard to deal with would be a huge understatement, not just when it happened but in the days that followed--even now, sometimes, though he was trying--but something inside of him had irreversibly changed and grown and understood that death happened, and not just happened but would happen, and once it happened, there was only one direction for those left behind: forward.

And even though what happened this afternoon was just a trick, and even though he knew it was just a trick, it screwed up everything. Part of him, the very, very small part that wasn't a trained ninja or a strong person and was as much a kid as the first-year children he dealt with at the academy, wanted to crawl under the blanket and hide until the whole damn thing was over. Luckily, that part was small enough to ignore, and he had stuff to do tonight.

The first of which was find his team.

Kakashi's lateness was nothing new, but Sai was almost always punctual...probably part of that strange training. He scrawled a quick note for the older ninja (new meeting room, m60) and searched until he found the makeshift weapon collected in the restaurant. Still aware of the stupidity of storing sharp objects so close to one's genitals, he tied a strip of fabric around his leg and tucked both the blade and the remaining scalpels to his outer thigh. Onwards.

[to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/702705.html?thread=58145521#t58145521)]

[justanimpulse.livejournal.com]

M98, right...?

Bart was out the door as soon as it unlocked, too caught up in his own worries to even notice his roommate's problems, something he'd probably feel really guilty about when or if he ever got his head on straight. But at the moment, he was too anxious to meet Robin to spare worry for anything else. He needed help, on several levels...but maybe getting this one problem fixed would make dealing with the rest of it easier.

A guy could always hope, right...?

[justanimpulse.livejournal.com]

Exiting M34

[moral-liberty.livejournal.com]

There was no reasonable purpose in exiting his room, except to escape from the silence. Leaving this place entirely was an impossibility, but not something that Kaworu desired. Only that morning, he had cared very little whether he stayed or disappeared. He had cared least of all after he learned that he had accomplished all that he had wanted. The only thing that he had ever actually wanted.

There was too much dissonance between what he wanted, and what he had seen. It was uncomfortable. He didn't like it.

Through this, Kaworu had found an interest and a purpose. He stepped out into the hallway, this time with his flashlight, and was greeted by darkness. He would find what he wanted hidden behind all of this.

[For Luffy!]

Exiting M37

[rubbermancan.livejournal.com]

Waking up in this place sometimes felt like shaking off a big, thick blanket. Normally he felt like this after a good night's sleep, but right now it was like he'd slept through the day. It was still night right now, right? The last thing he remembered was running through town with Chise and Kuro, hitting the zombies with his pan, and then...wings?

Huh. What a funny dream!

He wondered how long he'd been out for. His stomach, which acted like a weird kind of calendar for things like this, rumbled hungrily, and Luffy realized he'd been sleeping for awhile.

While other patients might have found falling asleep randomly sort of weird, that sort of thing wasn't new for Luffy. Actually, it wasn't really that unusual for him to fall asleep without warning even before he wound up in Landel's. He was just used to having his crew shake or kick him awake once it was time to get up if he didn't naturally get up on his own. Usually, he didn't stay out this long unless something was wrong.

Of course, there were a lot of things wrong with Landel's, too, so maybe it showed in the way some people slept a lot.

Any thoughts like that went out the window as soon as he saw a nice, juicy steak waiting for him, though. Delighted, he seated himself in front of the tray, and, within moments, he'd devoured the meat and french fries. It had gotten cold during the dinner shift, but Luffy didn't give a damn. This food was still delicious, and it was the perfect thing to eat after a long nap.

Re-energized, Luffy grabbed the pan he remembered picking up in Doyleton (wow, did things just magically appear from dreams now? Cool!). He opened up the door and looked outside. Were any of his nakama around? What was that light down there?

The pirate stepped outside to check things out.

"Hey!" he called out as he approached the light. With the way he was talking, it was like he'd forgotten that monsters liked to hang around the building at night. Even if it'd been on the forefront of his mind right then, Luffy still probably wouldn't have cared much, though.

Once he got a little closer, he realized this wasn't anyone he knew. It was hard to get a clear look at him, but it was obvious this guy was pretty pale. The grayish hair didn't exactly help in brightening things up, either. And with the way the light was shining away from him, he almost looked like some kind of ghost!

Interesting!

"Who're you?" he asked, wide-eyed and curious.

[nevergray.livejournal.com]

There was a loud bang somewhere in the Institute, and it jolted the man sleeping on the bed. His mouth twitched, the very first indication that he was finally, finally waking up.

Rorschach's eyes opened, revealing that the darkness of night still permeated the edges of his vision. He was back to square one, the coat he'd just been wearing no doubt tucked back in place among the clothes in the closet. Gut instinct told him that, and it was that same instinct that prompted him to get up and take a good long look at his body.

Pulling up his shirt, Rorschach noted that he was virtually uninjured, though his body ached a little. There were bluish marks in the shape of large fingers but they already looked a little faded, almost like they were... a day old? Something like that.

Finding no reason to dawdle, he quickly eased his shirt back into place, finding the previous night's materials and putting them in the pocket of the new coat he'd dug out of the closet.

It seemed like he'd been asleep for a while so he decided to complete another journal entry later, after he figured out what exactly happened to him. Stepping out of the room, he made sure the door was shut tight before heading down the corridor.

[nevergray.livejournal.com]

[to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/702746.html?thread=58731802#t58731802)]

M40

[blackestate.livejournal.com]

Sebastian's roommate had gone by the time Sebastian returned--regrettable in a sense, since the butler would readily admit to some curiosity as to the man's background and disposition--but he was not overly concerned. The day had been somewhat dull, but there was no sense in complaining when there was still work to be done. Lack of powers and human shell not withstanding, the time the butler had spent in the Institute thusfar was perhaps even livelier than that spent back "home."

Lack of powers and human shell not withstanding.

Ah, but those two were very convincing flaws indeed.

Nightshift had long begun, and a slow smile appeared on Sebastian's face as he thought of the time spent today dealing with staff and collecting the information his Master desired.

Promptly at the beginning of Nightshift.

You are not to behave as my butler but an acquaintance I have met here.

....words were always dangerous, spoken at the wrong times, from the wrong person.

A valuable lesson.

And never too late to learn.